Iger............friend or foe

[rutgers1]

I have been enjoying the Eisner thread, as well as the Disney War book. Now that I can see the end of Disney War on the horizon, I am wondering about the Iger years. So far, in the book, Iger is being portrayed as a guy who rose up the corporate ladder because he didn't intimidate Eisner and because he struck gold with Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

Here are my questions for all of our resident experts. Thanks in advance for answering:
1) How have the parks changed since he took over?
2) How have the television networks changed since he took over?
3) How have the hotels changed since he took over?
4) Any other changes, mergers, acquisitions of note?
5) Do we like him?

From my seat, it doesn't seem like much has changed at all over the past four years, aside from the announcement of some more DVC's and another attraction or two at various parks. I am really waiting for Disney's response to Harry Potter Land at Universal.

[DVC-Landbaron]

FOE


Because he doesn't "GET IT"


'Nuff said!

[YoHo]

It's hard to think of somebody so woefully inadequate at there job as being a foe intentionally, but he is.

[minnie61650]

I do not think Igor as a FOE. I think he is trying and is taking small steps in the right direction.
He has not yet earned my respect so athough I do not think of him as a foe, I will not call him friend yet.


Parks.....
I think the parks have gotten a little more TLC since Igor took over. They are noticeably cleaner, rides and attractions have gotten more than just basic maintenance. Fur and/or clothing has been replaced on a lot of the AA's.
The HM and PotC have had new upgrades added. I feel those upgrades are superb!

Resorts.....
Since Igor has taken over most of the resorts have been refurbished.
In fact often more than one resort is being worked on the same time.

The Poly, CR, GF, AKL, WL,All Star Music, All Star Sports, have been completed .BWI, BC, & FW cabins have been or are almost completed. CBR has had their main pool refurbished with a pirate theme. The pool is larger and has a zero entry.
The resort is undergoing refurbishments of the all the rooms including new pirate themed rooms in one of their sections.

Here is a copy of the concept art:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/minnie61650/caribbeanbeachresort73008-736223.jpg

At this time CSR is replacing all of the double beds with Queen Size beds in all their rooms.(expect those with King beds... Plus if what I read is true about 100 additional rooms are going to be King rooms.)

* Please note

This is the first time Queen size beds will be offered a Disney mod resort.


There are plans they are going to start refurbishing all the rooms in October and they are adding Business club level to a section of rooms.

Those are some pretty good changes and I feel they are some small steps in the right direction ....


-----------------------------------------------------------------

I posted this on post #125 of the Eisner thread:

This is what I posted on Nov.11 /2007

From this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=21723050


While Bob Iger may not be as Pro Disney parks as some Park enthusiasts would wish he would be, I feel he has taken some baby steps in the right direction.
----------------------------------------------------------
In January 2006 Disney teamed up with Pixar.

House of Mouse is teamed up with Pixar in a $7.4 billion deal. As part of the deal, Jobs became a board member of Disney And John Lasseter, the highly respected creative director at Pixar who had previously worked for Disney, rejoined the House of Mouse as chief creative officer for the company's combined animated studios and is helping to oversee the design for new attractions at Disney theme parks
For story see this January 2006 link:
http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/24/news...ey_Pixar_deal/

----------------------------------------------------------
Bob Iger also made a trade so Disney could get the rights back to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

Press Release from Disney.com - February 9, 2006
WALT DISNEY'S 1927 ANIMATED STAR - OSWALD THE LUCKY RABBIT - RETURNS TO DISNEY

Quote:
Mickey Mouse's Predecessor Rejoins Disney's Family of Animated Characters through Agreement with NBC/Universal

Burbank, CA (February 9, 2006) – Disney President and Chief Executive Officer Robert A. Iger announced today the return of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to The Walt Disney Company by agreement with NBC/Universal, the company that had previously owned the rights to Oswald since his theatrical debut in 1927.

"As the forerunner to Mickey Mouse and an important part of Walt Disney's creative legacy, the fun and mischievous Oswald is back where he belongs, at the home of his creator and among the stable of beloved characters created by Walt himself," said Iger.
"When Bob was named CEO, he told me he wanted to bring Oswald back to Disney, and I appreciate that he is a man of his word," said Walt Disney's daughter Diane Disney Miller. "Having Oswald around again is going to be a lot of fun."

When Walt Disney opened his animation studio in 1923, he spent four years producing The Alice Comedies, a popular series of shorts featuring a live girl in a cartoon world. After four years, Walt created a new character – Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Walt produced 26 Oswald cartoons, which were distributed by Universal and well-received by audiences. However, on a trip to New York to renew his contract for Oswald, Walt discovered a clause in his contract that gave Universal ownership of his popular new character. On the train ride back to Hollywood, Walt was devastated but realized he needed to create a new character – one that he would own entirely – and during that long trip across the country, Mickey Mouse was born.

This transfer of ownership is part of an agreement permitting sportscaster Al Michaels to contract with NBC. In the transaction ESPN also acquired significant programming and promotional rights, including telecast rights to the live Friday coverage of four Ryder Cup golf championships through 2014, expanded video highlights for the Olympics through 2012, video promotion for ESPN's Monday Night Football during NBC's Sunday night football through 2011, and expanded highlight rights for other NBC Sports properties through 2011.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
In October 2007:

Trowbridge, who was vice president of Universal's Creative Studios, went to Walt Disney Imagineering -- Disney's worldwide attractions-design company -- as vice president for creative research and development.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Lassiter played a big role in the massive 5-year, $1.1 billion expansion and makeover of DCA park announced in Oct. 2007.

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My point is even though Bob Iger may not really understand or love the Theme Parks division of Disney he has hired some very talented people who do care. A good team is important in a large company that has many divisions.The team needs to be made of people who represent and have top knowledge of each division. If Bob Iger continues to hire talented people who do want to improve the parks and if he and the board will follow through and put money back into the parks for improvements and upgrades then the Disney theme parks may once again make the Walt Disney Company proud.

Just my 2 cents.

[minnie61650]

FW campground.....

From this website:

http://moviedisney.com/fort-wilderness-resort-and-campground-to-get-major-overhaul.html

Changes are underway at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, the first such major improvements since this area opened 37 years ago.

Among the plans are a dog park, scaled down water park, internet access and cable TV throughout the campground, larger pads for today’s RV’s and an upgraded electric cart system. Also being addressed is the problem with proliferating plant species which are not indigenous to the area.

While Fort Wilderness does have three Wi-Fi hot spots as well as access from the Cabins, the same is not true for the campsites. The planned addition of both cable and internet access is being widely praised by those who camp at this resort.

The Meadows pool area will see a major overhaul with the addition of a a splash zone and water slide. Disney’s first water park, River Country, which has been closed, is adjacent to this area. While the plans do not include reopening that park, there is discussion to incorporate some of the more iconic elements of River Country into this new themed pool area. One such feature being looked at is River Country’s water tower.

The expanded campsites which are being built are expected to rent from $66 to $116 a night, varying by season and will also feature grills and picnic tables.

Jean Gallagher, General Manager of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness stated “The fort is a treasure at Walt Disney World. There really is so much history with the success of Walt Disney World that stems back to Fort Wilderness. And because of the nature of this property, and the theming, we really haven’t done a lot of changes. … We have not made a lot of investment from a site perspective in the 37 years we’ve been open. So this opportunity to meet what our guests are asking for, and how the industry has changed, this is more than we could expect.”

While the changes are being welcomed and are considered long overdue, Linda Profaizer, president and chief executive officer of the National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds speculated that the campsite pad expansion may be happening at a time when the trend of oversize campers may be ending in response to current gas prices.

Disney’s CEO Bob Iger previously commented “We have a big RV park in Orlando, and I would think that they would be hit the hardest, because it’s pretty expensive to fill up a tank in one of those babies. Those parks have been completely full. And there’s demand going forward from a bookings perspective.”

[Peter Pirate 2]

Iger will end up being worse than Eisner in the long run. Yes he will undertake little things like maintenance, refurbisments, etc. Things that admittedly should never have been let to slide but he will not ever take a creative chance that cannot be quantified by acountants and even if he were I will once again remind you of 'Caveman'...

At WDW he has Meg Crofton in charge, someone who clearly doesn't get "it" and she replaced Al Weiss, someone who clearly did!

The decisions like PI, Flamingo Crossings and the sale to 4 Seasons are clearly enough to tell in which direction he'll lead this Company. It may become a somewhat cleaner, brighter version but there will be no added glory outside of the typical Wal Mart mold philosophy.

JMO.
pirate:

[minnie61650]

Iger will end up being worse than Eisner in the long run. Yes he will undertake little things like maintenance, refurbisments, etc. Things that admittedly should never have been let to slide but he will not ever take a creative chance that cannot be quantified by acountants and even if he were I will once again remind you of 'Caveman'.......


pirate:

And can I remind you of EE & TSM.

[DVC-Landbaron]

Peter my friend!!

Are you an "Element" want-to-be?

Welcome! It's about time!!!

[Peter Pirate 2]

Peter my friend!!

Are you an "Element" want-to-be?

Welcome! It's about time!!!

It seems evident that corner's been turned (for some time now) doesn't it? My tipping point was the Disney dining fiasco - trading very, very good, very unique dining experiences for bistro quality dining plans...

minnie, I'll give you that EE is a great ride but it wasn't groundbreaking. It wasn't particularily original. Any theme park could have done it. Don't get me wrong, I really like it but when the powers that be felt AK really needed something BIG to save it I have to say I'm a little disappointed that a roller coaster is the best they could do...

As for Iger, it takes more than two good WDW attractions done on his watch to make up for the total lack of judgement in greenliting 'Caveman'. Be serious, who could possibly see success in that???
pirate:

[minnie61650]

....
As for Iger, it takes more than two good WDW attractions done on his watch to make up for the total lack of judgement in greenliting 'Caveman'. Be serious, who could possibly see success in that???
pirate:

I agree greenlighting "Caveman" was a huge mistake. I can't even believe that show made it onto the drawing boards let alone into production. On the other hand two of ABC's new fall 2007 network shows Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money did very well in the fall 2007 ratings.

Pushing Daisies won 3 Emmy awards.

[Another Voice]

But now you're leaving off the other big disasters from last year's schedule:

'Big Shots'
'Carpoolers'
'Cashmere Mafia'
'Eli Stone'
'Miss/Guided'
'Oprah's Big Give'
'Private Practice'
'Samantha Who?'
'Women's Murder Club'

Nor do you talk about the the carriedover failures like 'Brothers and Sisters', 'Sam I Am' and 'Men in Trees' that died quick and painful deaths. Nor about those wonder midseason gems like 'Wipeout' and 'I Survived a Japanese Game Show'.

Two shows doesn't really stand up against that - especially when you consider that Iger HAS BEEN RUNNING ABC FOR 13 YEARS! How much more on-the-job-training is this guy going to have before people figure out he's not up to the job?

[minnie61650]

minnie, I'll give you that EE is a great ride but it wasn't groundbreaking. It wasn't particularily original. Any theme park could have done it. Don't get me wrong, I really like it but when the powers that be felt AK really needed something BIG to save it I have to say I'm a little disappointed that a roller coaster is the best they could do...





If it were not for Ei$ner and his budget cuts Beastlie Kingdome would have been built as a land in the AK.

In an article I read by Paul Torrigino, contributing writer (introduction by Mark Goldhaber)
Paul tells about how he worked on a project for the Animal kingdom.
He spent 2 years helping to plan the Dragon Tower ride. (a thrill ride)
It was going to be a suspended coaster ride inside a castle complete with bats and a dragon.

There was going to be a restaurant on a little lake with mythical sea creatures.
The Loch Ness monster was going to appear every so often. Bubbling would start up in the lake and then the monster would slowly appear.
Sounds so cool.
They were also going to have, Fantasia Gardens, a bridge called "Billy Goat Bridge",a Unicorn Maze, a Mother Goose's shop, etc., that all over the land.

He said, "I remember after they shelved it, I watched the guys crate up all the pieces, very sad. They probably still have it all in a warehouse somewhere."

I for one am still hoping they get some those concepts out of the warehouse and build BK.

-----------------------------------

One of the lands at AK was supposed to be Beastlie Kingdomme. Because of budget cuts (Ei$ner) Disney delayed the building of Beastly Kingdomme and built Camp Mickey and Minnie and put the show Lion King in that area to keep the area ready for Beastlie Kingdom.

After Ei$ner nixed the plan for Beastlie Kingdom a lot of Imagineers lost heart and some went to work for Universal. They designed Dueling Dragons for IOA.

Here is an article about some Disney attractions that were designed but never built. The Dragon Tower attraction was originally slated for Beastlie Kingdomme land planned for Disney's Animal Kingdom park in Florida. This article gives one a virtual walk-through of Beastlie Kingdomme and the ride Dragon Tower.
http://www.mouseplanet.com/mark/mg041027.htm

[minnie61650]

But now you're leaving off the other big disasters from last year's schedule:

'Big Shots'
'Carpoolers'
'Cashmere Mafia'
'Eli Stone'
'Miss/Guided'
'Oprah's Big Give'
'Private Practice'
'Samantha Who?'
'Women's Murder Club'

Nor do you talk about the the carriedover failures like 'Brothers and Sisters', 'Sam I Am' and 'Men in Trees' that died quick and painful deaths. Nor about those wonder midseason gems like 'Wipeout' and 'I Survived a Japanese Game Show'.

Two shows doesn't really stand up against that -

I really cannot comment on the shows you listed since I have only seen parts of 1 or 2 episodes of 'Private Practice' and part of 1 episode of 'Samatha Who' but I did watch 'Pushing Daisies' and 'Dirty Sexy Money' each week last fall.

Other than the news I only watch aboult 7-8 hours of Television a week so I choose carefully.

The shows I usually watch are as follows:

CSI (Vegas)
NCIS
Lost
Pushing Daisies
Dirty Sexy Money
House ( sometimes)
Closure (sometimes)
Office(when my son is visiting)
*Note
Bob loves Office and I do enjoy watching it with him as he gets such a big kick from it I have to laugh also.

[Another Voice]

And did you know that 'CSI' was actually developed for Disney/ABC, but that Iger turned it down? And that 'Lost' (along with 'Desperate Housewives') got on the schedule because people underneath Iger went over his head to Eisner (Iger didn't want either series).

Based on your own viewing habits, how can you say Iger is a good programmer for ABC?

And if that wasn't enough, remember that Iger was the one who cancelled 'The Wonderful World of Disney' so he could move 'America's Funniest Home Videos' into the slot. How's that for 'taking care of the brand'.

[minnie61650]

And did you know that 'CSI' was actually developed for Disney/ABC, but that Iger turned it down? And that 'Lost' (along with 'Desperate Housewives') got on the schedule because people underneath Iger went over his head to Eisner (Iger didn't want either series).

Based on your own viewing habits, how can you say Iger is a good programmer for ABC?

And if that wasn't enough, remember that Iger was the one who cancelled 'The Wonderful World of Disney' so he could move 'America's Funniest Home Videos' into the slot. How's that for 'taking care of the brand'.

No I did not know that CSI was delveloped for Disney but I do know that 2 of the new fall of 2007 ABC shows has been added to my short list.

Thank you for that info.

Plus I think you are forgetting I never said that Igor is a good programmer for ABC.

I only stated that "Pushing Daisies" and "Dirty Sexy Money " did well in the fall ratings and that I (someone who watches very little TV )
have added those 2 ABC shows to my short list of "must sees".

[~Kik-Kik~]

In his defence for him not focusing his attention on WDW, DCA is taking up a lot of resourses right now. DCA is getting the most expensive ride EVER built in pny park ride and is being called the "first Super E-Ticket ride". It's 200 million dollars, and that 200 million is a part of phase 1 of the 1.2 billion makeover at DCA.

TSM and EE are great starts, and if the fantasyland makeover happens like it's suppose to, he will make up for everything Esiner did wrong. He is fixing DCA, adding a 3rd gate in 2016-2020 in DLR. He has amazing plans for the future of MK, Epcot and DHS. Animal Kingdom is still in limbo, but at least the other 3 will get big updates in the next 4 years.

[Another Voice]

Wow - when did you sneak into his office and find all these amazing plans?

Yea, it's nice to prance about all the rumors that have been planted on the internet (but haven't even been announced by the company), but at the moment it's all just fanwanking.

Seriously - they told the world about this wonder giant mega-magical Hawai'i DVC development...and so far as anyone knows not a single palm tree has been cut down yet. How am I supposed to fall for the "he will make up for everything Esiner did wrong" fertilizer?

But hey, that's just me. If people are going to cough up twenty grand for a DVC "membership" because they just know that Shadowlands and Night Kingdom or 'Cars - the Mega E Ticket' is going to happen, then some marketing company is earning their pay.

[~Kik-Kik~]

Wow - when did you sneak into his office and find all these amazing plans?

Yea, it's nice to prance about all the rumors that have been planted on the internet (but haven't even been announced by the company), but at the moment it's all just fan wanking.

Seriously - they told the world about this wonder giant mega-magical Hawai'i DVC development...and so far as anyone knows not a single palm tree has been cut down yet. How am I supposed to fall for the "he will make up for everything Esiner did wrong" fertilizer?

But hey, that's just me. If people are going to cough up twenty grand for a DVC "membership" because they just know that Shadowlands and Night Kingdom or 'Cars - the Mega E Ticket' is going to happen, then some marketing company is earning their pay.The Cars ride is not a rumor. It was announced at the same time as The Little Mermaid Dark Ride, Mickey/Sun switch, New Gate, Paradise Pier re-themeing, new water show with stadium and the rest of Carsland.

The rethemeing of Paradise Pier is near complete with the excepting of the removal of Maliboomer and the rethemeing of the a few rides (but they pushed that stage back to 2011 because of all the current construction). Toy Story Mania was a major part of this, later in phase 1 the rides will be rethemed and renamed.

Golden Dreams closed month and construction on TLM dark ride in underway starting with building the showcase.

This month the walls went up to start the construction of "Walt Disney Plaza".

In 2 years the major construction of the front end of the park will end and they will finish details on Paradise Pier (mickey/sun switch, removal on Maliboomer and Goofy's Flight School).

In 2010-2011 Carsland will start construction and in with completion of the rest of the park's phase 1 it will take all the focus, and possible be done in a year and a half.

This was announced by DISNEY last October and they so far have been very truthful about their plans. To think that this is a rumor is being paranoid and untrusting. Iger said that he wont work on the much needed 3rd gate in Disneyland until the 2nd one can stand on it's own 2 feet. All the major focus right now is on the park in the US that needs it the most, DCA. They are making that happen, with the addition of 5 new rides, 2 new lands and an all new water show.

John Lassater is running Disney Imagineering now, Iger has publicly expressed that he trusts his judgment. All Iger does is write the checks.

http://articles.latimes.com/2007/oct/17/business/fi-disney17

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/02/disneys_caiforn.php

http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/disneyland-luigi-rid-1003/

http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/orange-stinger-2059/#more-2059 (on the future on the Orange Stinger, it will get a rethemeing, but it's not confirmed what yet)

[Another Voice]

"Rob Doughty, a Disneyland spokesman, declined to comment on the plans"
"Imagineering officials declined to elaborate on the new “Disney theme.”
"The Blue Sky Disney fan site reported the Orange Stinger will be redubbed…… "
"...said a person familiar with the plan who asked not to be identified. "
" 'Disney is clearly trying to sway voters', Hernandez said. 'It’s so obvious to those who don’t have pixie dust in our eyes,' he said."


Thank you for proving my point. Right now we have nothing real from the company - just a bunch of vague hints with questionable purposes and heaps of guesses, 'rumors' and fanboy wishes from people on Internet websites.

There's that old marketing line about selling the sizzle instead of the steak. Fake rumors, bogus plans and bouncing icon happy plants on the Internet are enough to still keep selling annual passes and DVC memberships.

However rational people aren't going to praise Bob Iger's management until something good actually happens.

[WDWFan4Life]

I personally think that Iger seems like a nice guy and is much less egotistical than Ei$ner, however that does not qualify him to be the CEO of Disney. I believe if a creative was made CEO and Iger allowed to remain just as President the company may be heading in a better direction. From a lot of the things I have read he is a very personable guy and many people seem to like him. So if we had a really creative CEO he could use Iger to talk to potential partners. As the CEO though he is just driving Disney further and further away from the principles that Walt founded his company on and trying to create a business that just cares about its ROI (return on investment).

[GrimGhost]

I'm not going to take either postition for or against, but I do wonder, do any of the people who claim he is a "Foe" have any idea of someone who could do the job? George Lucas? Jobs? Lasseter?

Would it have to be a pair such as "Walt/Roy", "Eisner/Wells"?

And no, I don't think Walt/Roy are on an equal basis with Eisner/Wells

[minnie61650]

....
The rethemeing of Paradise Pier is near complete with the excepting of the removal of Maliboomer and the rethemeing of the a few rides .....

Golden Dreams closed month and construction on TLM dark ride in underway starting with building the showcase........

This month the walls went up to start the construction of "Walt Disney Plaza".........



Kik-Kik

Thank you for so much for the update of the progess that has been made in the redo of California Adventures.

[jfinke]

I'm not going to take either postition for or against, but I do wonder, do any of the people who claim he is a "Foe" have any idea of someone who could do the job? George Lucas? Jobs? Lasseter?

Would it have to be a pair such as "Walt/Roy", "Eisner/Wells"?

And no, I don't think Walt/Roy are on an equal basis with Eisner/Wells

I was pulling for Jobs for a while. I am not sure that a lot of the Disney fans would like him though. It would probably have been a love hate relationship. I was hoping Lasseter was going to have more of an impact when they purchased Pixar, but I am not sure I have seen anything of significance. :confused3

[DVC-Landbaron]

I'm not going to take either postition for or against, but I do wonder, do any of the people who claim he is a "Foe" have any idea of someone who could do the job? George Lucas? Jobs? Lasseter?
Igor is inept. Perhaps not as inept as his predecessor, but inept nonetheless. But that is NOT the reason he is a foe. His “foe”ness overwhelms him because he simply doesn’t “GET IT”. And by that I mean the Disney philosophy. The principles on which Walt created his products whether it was animation, film, or a theme park. You don’t have to be some wonderful CEO to head Disney. Just look at the last two!!! What is essential, however, is that you grasp and more importantly, believe in the creative business model that brought them to the dance in the first place. In other words, “WALT’S PHILOSOPHY”.

If you understand those basic principles, you could do it better than Igor. AV certain could. YoHo could. And most others on this board could. There are countless advisers, consultants, bean-counters and sharp pencils guys to help out on the business end of the company. And there are creative types all around us. People who do nothing but dream all day, and know how to make those dreams work! I believe we used to call those people Imagineers before Ei$ner killed their soul!

So on both fronts, business and creative, there would be plenty of wonderful advice and ideas. All it takes is someone in a decision making role to implement these ideas according to that wonderful Philosophy. In other words all need is someone who “GETS IT”!! And so far, since the early ‘80’s no one in a top role at Disney has gotten it.

Kinda sad, isn’t it?

[TheRustyScupper]

1) OMG!
2) I know I shouldn't be thinking this.
3) I really know I should not be saying this!
4) But, Maybe Eisner should replace Ogre (I mean Iger).

5) Eisner had major faults, hurt morale and stayed too long, but he cared about guests!
6) I heard him speak without reporters present, and he really did care.
7) When we all said to dump him and take Ogre, we forgot something important.
8) We forgot to be careful for what we wish.

[DVC-Landbaron]

... but he cared about guests!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!! He cared about making money! And not necessarily for the company, but HIS OWN money! He didn't care about guests at all. In fact he thought "guests" were lacking in style, taste and culture! He really did think we (guests) were the "huddled masses". Ignorant and easily conned.

I feel for you my friend. Wait until AV and/or YoHo sees this!! They're gonna have a field day with this one. But on the plus side, you have insured that this thread will go on, and on, and on, and on, and... Well... I think you get my point.

[Another Voice]

do any of the people who claim he is a "Foe" have any idea of someone who could do the job?
No - and that's because the company itself is wrong.

"Disney" is a specific type of entertainment and a specific way of making things. The care and skills required to make a Snow White or a 'Haunted Mansion' are destroyed inside a giant company - especially one that's mostly a cheesy commerical broadcast network, a collection of sports programming basic cable channels and that happens to own a few amusement parks on the side.

The Walt Disney Company isn't "Disney" today, it's a rebranded version of Capital Cities Investments - the company that that Bob Iger has worked his entire adult life in. What does he know about Real Disney, what does he really care about Real Disney?

Look around Hollywood. Why have none of the other major studios been able to duplicate what Disney accomplished? The reason is simple - they were part of huge indifferent corporatations for decades while Disney remained independent. Their management focus is split and people's focus shifts to immedidate returns rather than the long range profitablity of the company.

Yet look at the amount of money Disney makes from cartoon characters created in the early parts of the last century. How many other studios still make millions from movies as old as Snow White? Do you really think your great grandchildern are going to be watching High School Musical 3?

Thanks to Eisner and Iger, those corporate ways have finally caught up with Disney. The company that was famous for having Walt sell his vacation home to finance Disneyland lost hundreds of millions of dollars on airplane leases to United Airlines. People want to believe that "monorails are too expensive" when in reality it's that Disney doesn't invest in its own businesses anymore - profits from floating junk bonds end up in executive bonus checks faster than the money invested in happy freespending guests.

Disney will be unmanagable until they get back to being Disney. They need to get back to making Disney entertainment.

[WDWFan4Life]

When will Disney finally get an executive that understands and cares about Walt's philosophy. I hope that it happens before it is too late and Disney is just another company whose name doesn't mean anything. I was reading an article about Disney's upcoming slate of movies and in it Dick Cook said that Iger was obsessed with quality. My question is though, does he actually understand what quality is? It doesn't seem like he has a grasp on what Disney quality was and should be.

[DVC-Landbaron]

It doesn't seem like he has a grasp on what Disney quality was and should be.
Well said!! And that's why he is a FOE!! He doesn't mean to be (maybe) but he can't help himself. He is what he is!

[deej696]

So let me see if I understand these posts from this so called "Element";) Bob Iger cant run Disney, but no one else can either? And as a result, the company is doomed forever? Then why are we all here spending so much of our valuable time discussing it? Both of these threads have sounded so much like a political campaign....

"The 'party' in control are idiots, but we dont really have any ideas or leadership of our own to change things. But this is how it was in the "good ole days" and we want that back."

[Maistre Gracey]

Ahhh... Now this is the old R&N Board of days past..

Unfortunately, this time around I'm more on the side of the nay-sayers.
I hope I'm proven wrong.

MG

[~Kik-Kik~]

"Rob Doughty, a Disneyland spokesman, declined to comment on the plans"
"Imagineering officials declined to elaborate on the new “Disney theme.”
"The Blue Sky Disney fan site reported the Orange Stinger will be redubbed…… "
"...said a person familiar with the plan who asked not to be identified. "
" 'Disney is clearly trying to sway voters', Hernandez said. 'It’s so obvious to those who don’t have pixie dust in our eyes,' he said."


Thank you for proving my point. Right now we have nothing real from the company - just a bunch of vague hints with questionable purposes and heaps of guesses, 'rumors' and fanboy wishes from people on Internet websites.

There's that old marketing line about selling the sizzle instead of the steak. Fake rumors, bogus plans and bouncing icon happy plants on the Internet are enough to still keep selling annual passes and DVC memberships.

However rational people aren't going to praise Bob Iger's management until something good actually happens.So your telling me that they closed Golden Dreams just because? Even though the plans for a Little Mermaid dark ride has been in the works since the early 1990's and they SAID that TLM dark ride will go in that exact place? ...ummm.......I dont really know what to say. You seem to be one of those people who think that the first trip to the moon was filmed in a studio. I'm sorry, but it's sad that you cant trust anything.

Everyone bashes Eisner, but during his time he made some of the best Disney movies! Some Better than Walt's. Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and Aladdin. He made mistakes, but are you telling me Walt didnt? Walt became a spy of the US because his paranoia consumed him. He ruined many people's lives because he assumed they were communists.

Nobody's perfect, Iger needs a chance. You cant discredit him because he didnt start off at his best. Look at the good he's done. He saw that the Disney movies were becoming epic failures so he made Rapunzel and The Princess and the Frog. He realized that he couldn't do the parks himself so he hired the most creative person at Disney, John Lassater.

You cant go through life thinking everything is a conspiracy. Try to see things with a positive outlook for once.

[WDWFan4Life]

So let me see if I understand these posts from this so called "Element";) Bob Iger cant run Disney, but no one else can either? And as a result, the company is doomed forever? Then why are we all here spending so much of our valuable time discussing it? Both of these threads have sounded so much like a political campaign....

"The 'party' in control are idiots, but we dont really have any ideas or leadership of our own to change things. But this is how it was in the "good ole days" and we want that back."

I don't feel that the people in control are idiots, they seem to be very smart people and good at using numbers and statistics to make their decisions. What Disney needs though is not another one of these types of people, but someone that has a very creative mind that can break the imagineers completely away from the constraints that have been placed on them since the days of Ei$ner. These executives could be in charge of any other company and make it a success by just focusing on the bottom line. The goal of Disney was to create awe inspiring attractions that gave you a feeling as though you were in a timeless place when you stepped inside its parks.

For me when I step inside of any of the parks in WDW I still get a special feeling inside of me that I want to feel when I am at Disney. But the feeling isn't as strong as it used to be. I can tell when I walk inside the park that Disney is a company that is after my dollars and wants to force some of their products on me so much that I relent and decide to buy them. I would be much more willing to part with my dollars if they made an effort to create a completely amazing experience where I didn't feel as though they were shoving things down my throat.

As for there not being anyone that could run Disney, I don't feel as though that is true. There are many people that could run Disney that have the creative spirit. I have not spent much time looking into the most creative people that are in the industry and am sure that some other people would have a better idea than me who they feel would be qualified to run Disney.

[YoHo]

Why would it take 15 years to build a dark ride?
And wooo man, accusing AV of believing in conspiracy theories may be the funniest thing ever posted here.

Your excitement over anything happening in DCA is in my opinion misplaced. Whoopi Saves California wasn't exactly drawing huge crowds. (though there was a CM once who thought it was the greatest attraction at DL. she got heckled a lot during the movie. ) Closing it is not some big amazing deal. And carsland isn't all that exciting either.

I really need to start my campaign to have Disney turn DCA back into a parking lot. The only way to save the park is to destroy it and pretend like it never existed.

So your telling me that they closed Golden Dreams just because? Even though the plans for a Little Mermaid dark ride has been in the works since the early 1990's and they SAID that TLM dark ride will go in that exact place? ...ummm.......I dont really know what to say. You seem to be one of those people who think that the first trip to the moon was filmed in a studio. I'm sorry, but it's sad that you cant trust anything.

Everyone bashes Eisner, but during his time he made some of the best Disney movies! Some Better than Walt's. Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and Aladdin. He made mistakes, but are you telling me Walt didnt? Walt became a spy of the US because his paranoia consumed him. He ruined many people's lives because he assumed they were communists.

Nobody's perfect, Iger needs a chance. You cant discredit him because he didnt start off at his best. Look at the good he's done. He saw that the Disney movies were becoming epic failures so he made Rapunzel and The Princess and the Frog. He realized that he couldn't do the parks himself so he hired the most creative person at Disney, John Lassater.

You cant go through life thinking everything is a conspiracy. Try to see things with a positive outlook for once.

[Another Voice]

So your telling me that they closed Golden Dreams just because?
What was I thinking? After they closed 'The Wonders of Life' pavilion at Epcot and turned it into that...that new thing! And after they cancelled the Hunchback show at the Studios to present...that new thing! And at DCA when they shut down 'Millionaire' and put in...that new thing!

I've forgotten, Disney just never closes anything just because.


Even though the plans for a Little Mermaid dark ride has been in the works since the early 1990's
Yes, those plans for the Euro Disney version of 'Mermaid' are filed in the drawer right next to the plans for Discovery Bay from the 1970s. Did you enjoy your stay at the Buffalo Junction Resort recently. Did you have a good time riding 'Dick Tracy's Crime Stoppers'. And that great new restaurant over in the Russia pavilion - that ice vodka bar is enough to make one run right over to Swiss Pavilion for a nice cup of warm coca in the shadow of the Materhorn. But then, you've got to get up really early to get 'cause the lines at the Villain's Park are sooooo long.

And who here has already traded in their DVC points for that wonderful new place in Hawai'i!!! After visiting the DVC units in New York, Colorado, Texas and Paris, I know this new one is going to be even more magically magical!


Everyone bashes Eisner, but during his time he made some of the best Disney movies!
Yes, my DVD shelf is stuffed with stunning winners like Pearl Harbor, Chicken Little and Bubble Boy. And I really liked "he made some of the best movies". It's so rare to find to find a CEO that can both run a company and write, direct, produce, film and star in his own films!

Walt became a spy of the US because his paranoia consumed him. He ruined many people's lives because he assumed they were communists.
Yes, it's a side of Disneyland they hide from the public. Like the 'Shoot A Commie for Walt' Rifle Range in Adventureland. That 'Cuban Missile Crisis Rocket to the Moon' was one of my favorites as a kid, although my dad's favorite was the 'Autopia of Running Over Striking Union Members'. Ah, he got such a kick out of that one. Then there's "special" room under the castle....

Maybe one day they'll finally release all those stories about Walt's secret missions into East Germany on horrible missions of subversion - spreading such terrible and insane ideas like American Values. Thanks to Hollywood, we don't have to worry about pesky things like those anymore.


You cant discredit him because he didn't start off at his best.
I discredit him because he's had over ten years of being President of ABC and we're still getting garbage like 'Caveman'.

Usually if one is so miserable and utterly incompetent at everything over such a long period of time - the only job you can get is Congressman.


He saw that the Disney movies were becoming epic failures so he made Rapunzel and The Princess and the Frog.
No, he spent $7 billion in Chinese junk bond money to buy Pixar.

And since Rapunzel and Frog are both in the process of being remade (because the first iterations of both movies were so bad) - how do you know we're not looking more mega Chicken Little disasters?


Try to see things with a positive outlook for once.
That's why I go to Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Real Disney lives there.

[~Kik-Kik~]

Why would it take 15 years to build a dark ride?
And wooo man, accusing AV of believing in conspiracy theories may be the funniest thing ever posted here.

Your excitement over anything happening in DCA is in my opinion misplaced. Whoopi Saves California wasn't exactly drawing huge crowds. (though there was a CM once who thought it was the greatest attraction at DL. she got heckled a lot during the movie. ) Closing it is not some big amazing deal. And carsland isn't all that exciting either.

I really need to start my campaign to have Disney turn DCA back into a parking lot. The only way to save the park is to destroy it and pretend like it never existed.It didnt take 15 years. It was for Paris, it was axed there because Paris at the time was a failure and they invested their money else where in the park. At that time it wasnt possible to add it to Disneyland because there was no DCA. You can assume it was shelved for years.

DCA came along and was yet another failure at the beginning, and still is. Last October Disney released heir plans for the parks. You dont need to be a rocket scientist to make sense of their plan, replace what people dont like with things that people will enjoy. TLM was brought back up and redone to fit into these plans. The old version (The Paris Original) is the concept ride that was featured on TLM DVD.

It's called a comparison. I doubt he actually thinks the moon landing was fake, but I do think he believes in Disney conspiracy. His complete and utter lack of any trust in the company is prof.

[~Kik-Kik~]

What was I thinking? After they closed 'The Wonders of Life' pavilion at Epcot and turned it into that...that new thing! And after they canceled the Hunchback show at the Studios to present...that new thing! And at DCA when they shut down 'Millionaire' and put in...that new thing!

I've forgotten, Disney just never closes anything just because.Disney never said there would be a replacement for those. Disney held a press conference WITH TLM dark ride in the plans. Different situations.



Yes, those plans for the Euro Disney version of 'Mermaid' are filed in the drawer right next to the plans for Discovery Bay from the 1970s. Did you enjoy your stay at the Buffalo Junction Resort recently. Did you have a good time riding 'Dick Tracy's Crime Stoppers'. And that great new restaurant over in the Russia pavilion - that ice vodka bar is enough to make one run right over to Swiss Pavilion for a nice cup of warm coca in the shadow of the Materhorn. But then, you've got to get up really early to get 'cause the lines at the Villain's Park are sooooo long.Do you like EE? TSM? NSV? Mike and Sully to the Rescue? New Space Mt? Soarin? For every ride shelved another one is is made.

And who here has already traded in their DVC points for that wonderful new place in Hawai'i!!! After visiting the DVC units in New York, Colorado, Texas and Paris, I know this new one is going to be even more magically magical! DVC=/=Parks
Besides, wasnt that made with Esner? We all he screwed things ALL things up after 2000. There were obvious mistakes before that, but not everything was a mistake.

Yes, my DVD shelf is stuffed with stunning winners like Pearl Harbor, Chicken Little and Bubble Boy. And I really liked "he made some of the best movies". It's so rare to find to find a CEO that can both run a company and write, direct, produce, film and star in his own films!Again, only looking at the bad. Why arent you talking about the good movies?


Yes, it's a side of Disneyland they hide from the public. Like the 'Shoot A Commie for Walt' Rifle Range in Adventureland. That 'Cuban Missile Crisis Rocket to the Moon' was one of my favorites as a kid, although my dad's favorite was the 'Autopia of Running Over Striking Union Members'. Ah, he got such a kick out of that one. Then there's "special" room under the castle....Read below

Maybe one day they'll finally release all those stories about Walt's secret missions into East Germany on horrible missions of subversion - spreading such terrible and insane ideas like American Values. Thanks to Hollywood, we don't have to worry about pesky things like those anymore.I'm about to watch a movie, but I'll find the Youtube links about the time during the making of Dumbo and Bambi.

I discredit him because he's had over ten years of being President of ABC and we're still getting garbage like 'Caveman'.ABC and the Disney Parks are 2 diffrent things. He was a failure at ABC as a programmer, but he has made decent choices so far. Nothing amazing, but nothing as bad as you make it seem.

Usually if one is so miserable and utterly incompetent at everything over such a long period of time - the only job you can get is Congressman.Wouldnt shock me if you were a congressman.

No, he spent $7 billion in Chinese junk bond money to buy Pixar.Pixar has given Disney their ONLY hits in the last 9 years. Tarzan was the last decent movie from Disney.

And since Rapunzel and Frog are both in the process of being remade (because the first iterations of both movies were so bad) - how do you know we're not looking more mega Chicken Little disasters?Aladdin was completely remade midway through production. Beauty and the Beast was attempted by Disney himself but gave up. It was later revisited and is now one of the best Disney movies of all time.

That's why I go to Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Real Disney lives there.The part about DisneySea is true, but TDL is a watered down version of DLC (excluding Pooh's Honey Hunt).

[rutgers1]

I totally love these threads. My only wish would be that people please look at things from both sides. For example, those that despise Iger and Eisner tend to look at any issue only from the negative angle, discounting any positive element as either:
1) luck (He didn't want to produce that movie, but someone went over his head)
2) luck part 2 (He had a few hits, but look at ALL of the failures)

It is really odd to only judge someone by their failures and then turn around and attribute all of their good accomplishments to the hard work and creativity of others.

[~Kik-Kik~]

I totally love these threads. My only wish would be that people please look at things from both sides. For example, those that despise Iger and Eisner tend to look at any issue only from the negative angle, discounting any positive element as either:
1) luck (He didn't want to produce that movie, but someone went over his head)
2) luck part 2 (He had a few hits, but look at ALL of the failures)

It is really odd to only judge someone by their failures and then turn around and attribute all of their good accomplishments to the hard work and creativity of others.I agree. I think Esner should have left on good terms in 1997.

I just hope Lassater takes over Iger within the next 10 years.

[minnie61650]

......It is really odd to only judge someone by their failures and then turn around and attribute all of their good accomplishments to the hard work and creativity of others.

It is odd.
Isn't it?

[deej696]

I agree.... so again I say these threads remind me of a political campaign. "The current guy in office stinks, and here is everything they have done wrong. The only things that were done right were actually not their doing, but were actually stumbled upon with the help of others, who by the way are actually on our side.":thumbsup2

[GrimGhost]

I agree.... so again I say these threads remind me of a political campaign. "The current guy in office stinks, and here is everything they have done wrong.....":thumbsup2

I agree, which is why I posed the question "who could run it then".

Baron - I don't question your arguments on "foe". I believe you understand the heritage of this company. I think I do as well.


If you understand those basic principles, you could do it better than Igor. AV certain could. YoHo could. And most others on this board could....

I will concede that I have no idea who AV and YoHo or you are in reality and from reading posts over the years, I believe all of these people are intelligent, understand the company and it's history and loved what the Walt Disney Co was at one point in time. I don't think in reality however, the board of directors will just hand over the reigns to just any one. That is why I threw Lucas and Jobs and Lasseter out there. My real hope is Lasseter. When one of the nine old men calls him the "Walt of today" I find that compelling.

[Another Voice]

I don't think in reality however, the board of directors will just hand over the reigns to just any one. That is why I threw Lucas and Jobs and Lasseter out there. My real hope is Lasseter.
No one is capable of leading Disney because The Walt Disney Company is now nothing but a pile of unconnected bits and pieces. Can anyone explain who ESPN is "Disney" other than existing on the same balance sheet?

"Disney" is a specific type of entertainment made a specific of way. The kind of top-to-bottom care and talent that's required to make Snow White or a 'Haunted Mansion' is impossible in a large organization. Disney Animation died when it was forced to care less about the quality of the movie and more about the merchandising tie-ins. The parks grew worse when they become cash flow instruments funding ABC's collapse.

And the reason why Pixar was so successful was that everyone from the CEO on down to the cafeteria workers had a personal stake in the success or failure of each movie. There isn't a single person sitting at ABC in New York that gives a rat's fig about whether Wall•E or 'Toy Story Mania is popular. How can a CEO of the mess that Disney has become possibly keep up the standards that "Disney" represents?

Where I fault Iger is that he's accelerated the conglomeration of Disney to near hyper speed. We don't get movies anymore, we get franchises. We don't get stories any more, we get background for a multi-platform merchandise push. We don't get attractions anymore, we get product placements. Quality is the last thing the company cares about - from 'Caveman' the TV series to California Adventure.
I look to the CEO to be the person to define "this is who we are as a company and this is what we do". Iger hasn't been able to answer that question.

People really have to ask themselves whether they are a fan of Disney - of a certain style of entertainment, or fans of The Walt Disney Company, a corporation that can make money anyway they can.

[YoHo]

So, I was in DCA last night.
Golden Dreams is closed, but there are no construction Barriers up and no work being done. Nothing in fact. No work going on in Paradise Pier area either.


CEO's get judged by their failures, mainly because in Disney's case, most of those failures are executive level failures. It takes hundreds of people succeeding at their jobs to make a great movie, but it only takes one bonehead decision by Eisner or Iger to make success impossible. Further, the facts and rumors so often support a rather less than encouraging view of the CEO. The Makers of Lost and Desperate Housewives had to go over Iger's head to get those shows made. He didn't want to make them. So how can you call them his successes?

He HAD to buy pixar. Or at least, buying Pixar was the easiest solution to the problem. There's nothing to be impressed with there. And Lassieter made him pay a price for that.

There is not one single addition to any Disney park made since Iger took over that is any better than OK. Nothing great has happened.
Matt Ouimet saved Disneyland's 50th and promptly realized he didn't want to work for these boneheads any more and left.
And if you really think they're actually going to do everything they announced for DCA, well then, I have a bridge to sell you. That was nothing more than a snow job, because the city of Anaheim was about to tell Disney where they could stick it.
I'm sure will get a few bones are way, but no way will we get the full billion.

[YoHo]

Quoted for truth.

The CEO defines the company and Iger does a very piss poor job of it.

No one is capable of leading Disney because The Walt Disney Company is now nothing but a pile of unconnected bits and pieces. Can anyone explain who ESPN is "Disney" other than existing on the same balance sheet?

"Disney" is a specific type of entertainment made a specific of way. The kind of top-to-bottom care and talent that's required to make Snow White or a 'Haunted Mansion' is impossible in a large organization. Disney Animation died when it was forced to care less about the quality of the movie and more about the merchandising tie-ins. The parks grew worse when they become cash flow instruments funding ABC's collapse.

And the reason why Pixar was so successful was that everyone from the CEO on down to the cafeteria workers had a personal stake in the success or failure of each movie. There isn't a single person sitting at ABC in New York that gives a rat's fig about whether Wall•E or 'Toy Story Mania is popular. How can a CEO of the mess that Disney has become possibly keep up the standards that "Disney" represents?

Where I fault Iger is that he's accelerated the conglomeration of Disney to near hyper speed. We don't get movies anymore, we get franchises. We don't get stories any more, we get background for a multi-platform merchandise push. We don't get attractions anymore, we get product placements. Quality is the last thing the company cares about - from 'Caveman' the TV series to California Adventure.
I look to the CEO to be the person to define "this is who we are as a company and this is what we do". Iger hasn't been able to answer that question.

People really have to ask themselves whether they are a fan of Disney - of a certain style of entertainment, or fans of The Walt Disney Company, a corporation that can make money anyway they can.

[~Kik-Kik~]

No one is capable of leading Disney because The Walt Disney Company is now nothing but a pile of unconnected bits and pieces. Can anyone explain who ESPN is "Disney" other than existing on the same balance sheet?

"Disney" is a specific type of entertainment made a specific of way. The kind of top-to-bottom care and talent that's required to make Snow White or a 'Haunted Mansion' is impossible in a large organization. Disney Animation died when it was forced to care less about the quality of the movie and more about the merchandising tie-ins. The parks grew worse when they become cash flow instruments funding ABC's collapse.

And the reason why Pixar was so successful was that everyone from the CEO on down to the cafeteria workers had a personal stake in the success or failure of each movie. There isn't a single person sitting at ABC in New York that gives a rat's fig about whether Wall•E or 'Toy Story Mania is popular. How can a CEO of the mess that Disney has become possibly keep up the standards that "Disney" represents?

Where I fault Iger is that he's accelerated the conglomeration of Disney to near hyper speed. We don't get movies anymore, we get franchises. We don't get stories any more, we get background for a multi-platform merchandise push. We don't get attractions anymore, we get product placements. Quality is the last thing the company cares about - from 'Caveman' the TV series to California Adventure.
I look to the CEO to be the person to define "this is who we are as a company and this is what we do". Iger hasn't been able to answer that question.

People really have to ask themselves whether they are a fan of Disney - of a certain style of entertainment, or fans of The Walt Disney Company, a corporation that can make money anyway they can.Ah, I see what your saying now. I think it will get better with time because of John Lassater but I do know what you mean. Iger said that there wont be rides that are just rides, or rides based on failure movies. I do think that's a shame. Splash Mountain is a perfect example of a movie that was a failure but is an amazing ride and Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise and Small World are amazing rides without any movie background.

I hope it gets better in the future, but I doubt it will get much better. John does seem to want to bring new things to the parks but that doesnt mean Iger will let it happen.

[rantnnravin]

I was doing some research for a class and stumbled upon this:
excerpted from How to Be Like Walt by Pat Williams:
Disney's post-war financial strain brought Walt and Roy into increasingly sharp conflict." Roy was aggravated by Walt's insistence on plussing at the expense of profits. Walt thought Roy's cost-conscious approach to film-making was short-sighted.
Another source of tension: Roy kept pestering Walt to attend stockholder meetings. Walt stubbornly refused. He hated stockholder meetings and considered them a waste of time. But Roy kept pressing, and Walt finally agreed.
Upon entering the room, Walt found himself facing a collection of sober-faced businessmen in black suits - the kind of grim-faced, tight fisted capitalist bosses he later satirized in Mary Poppins. Walt looked around the room with a sour-milk expression. then, he stood up and read a letter from a man in Florida who owned a few shares of Disney stock. The man said how much he enjoyed Disney movies, then added, "I don't care if I ever get any dividends. You just keep up the good work and keep making good pictures."
Walt put the letter down, looked around the room and said, "I wish this company had more shareholders like that one. He understands what Disney is all about. Now it's been very nice to see all of you, but if you don't mind, I've got a studio to run." And he walked out, leaving his stockholders in stunned silence.

[whodini]

I still need to get caught up on the whole thread, but I'll go out on a limb and say that I'm a fan of Iger. He made Pixar a priority even before he took office. The Disney interactive division has made some huge leaps and acquisitions under him that I think make total sense in the current Disney/Media environment. I've studied Disney as a business case study and I'm pretty impressed with a lot of things they do right. We need to realize that Disney is now a big media company that is very diversified and that parks & resorts is only about 20% of the total pie. The success of Disney's other interests can only help the parks & resorts division as Disney will be a much healthier company that can spend the cash that its bringing in. Many of the current parks & reports things that we do love were partially funded by things like ESPN being successful.

[lockedoutlogic]

I would say that Iger's performance has been good so far....

but that is somewhat misleading.....as evil Mikey left things in kinda a lurch and his egomaniac trips had caused bigtime problems fro WDC that had obvious answers....

The feud with Steve Jobs being an obvious one......Iger calls up.....makes nice....buys Pixar.....we all live happily ever after....

ABC has done ok since Iger took over.....but it had been so bad for about 5 years before that any improvement looks like good management

As for the Disney franchise......they keep going to the Pixar well and raking in automatic bucks.....again....a no brainer

As for the parks and attractions segment.....they're coming off one of the best five year periods in history.....which is tied directly to the economic bubble that is slowly deflating.....

and they did what was painfully obvious and started a complete redo of California Adventure practically from square one....

I'm still waiting on WDW.....other than building timeshares.....I think priority #1 should still be to flesh out both the studios and animal kingdom to make them more "full day" gates....

and by "flesh out"...I mean:

Animal Kingdom:
-Add a mixture of at least 10 animal habitats/ attractions to animal kingdom....which should incorporate one or two new "lands"...as the park is obviously disjointed from a reduction in the original footprint of the park
-Add at least 2 more table service dining locations....as this was originally neglected

Studios:
-Add at least 5 new attractions....varying in type and age group
-Expand the footprint of the park....either by using more of the now defunct production facilitities area or expanding beyond Star Tours into the employee parking lots....the park seems "small"...and as such....doesn't provide the kind of all day patrons that a Disney park should.

[CathrynRose]

What was I thinking? After they closed 'The Wonders of Life' pavilion at Epcot and turned it into that...that new thing! And after they cancelled the Hunchback show at the Studios to present...that new thing! And at DCA when they shut down 'Millionaire' and put in...that new thing!

I've forgotten, Disney just never closes anything just because.



Yes, those plans for the Euro Disney version of 'Mermaid' are filed in the drawer right next to the plans for Discovery Bay from the 1970s. Did you enjoy your stay at the Buffalo Junction Resort recently. Did you have a good time riding 'Dick Tracy's Crime Stoppers'. And that great new restaurant over in the Russia pavilion - that ice vodka bar is enough to make one run right over to Swiss Pavilion for a nice cup of warm coca in the shadow of the Materhorn. But then, you've got to get up really early to get 'cause the lines at the Villain's Park are sooooo long.

And who here has already traded in their DVC points for that wonderful new place in Hawai'i!!! After visiting the DVC units in New York, Colorado, Texas and Paris, I know this new one is going to be even more magically magical!



Yes, my DVD shelf is stuffed with stunning winners like Pearl Harbor, Chicken Little and Bubble Boy. And I really liked "he made some of the best movies". It's so rare to find to find a CEO that can both run a company and write, direct, produce, film and star in his own films!


Yes, it's a side of Disneyland they hide from the public. Like the 'Shoot A Commie for Walt' Rifle Range in Adventureland. That 'Cuban Missile Crisis Rocket to the Moon' was one of my favorites as a kid, although my dad's favorite was the 'Autopia of Running Over Striking Union Members'. Ah, he got such a kick out of that one. Then there's "special" room under the castle....

Maybe one day they'll finally release all those stories about Walt's secret missions into East Germany on horrible missions of subversion - spreading such terrible and insane ideas like American Values. Thanks to Hollywood, we don't have to worry about pesky things like those anymore.



I discredit him because he's had over ten years of being President of ABC and we're still getting garbage like 'Caveman'.

Usually if one is so miserable and utterly incompetent at everything over such a long period of time - the only job you can get is Congressman.



No, he spent $7 billion in Chinese junk bond money to buy Pixar.

And since Rapunzel and Frog are both in the process of being remade (because the first iterations of both movies were so bad) - how do you know we're not looking more mega Chicken Little disasters?



That's why I go to Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Real Disney lives there.

I dont think Ive ever agreed with a post as much as your sarcastic one, above. Brilliant.

[CathrynRose]

On a side note - Im assuming Im not the only one with the "Goodbye Michael, Bring Back Roy" bumper sticker from yearssssss ago?

;)

[YoHo]

I had a Goodbye Michael and Roy, Bring back Ron one.

[k5thbeatle]

A "Caveman" show could actually have been a good idea...but it was so poorly written and in the form presented it was stoop-id for sure.:surfweb: